President Droupadi Murmu will confer the 71st National Film Awards in New Delhi today, and every film fan’s schedule just got canceled, national duty, y’all! The group chats are already buzzing, remote controls are being fought over, and somewhere, someone’s making way too much popcorn because why not make it a full cinema hall vibe at home? From historic wins (SRK stans, are you breathing?) to lifetime tributes, tonight’s jam-packed event is all anyone’s talking about. Here’s your no-nonsense, meme-loaded, “TikTok-dupe” guide to one of the most iconic nights for Indian movies, so you can follow along, or at least pretend you did at work tomorrow.
1) When, Where, Kitne Baje? (Bookmark This!)
Don’t let FOMO hit you harder than spoilers. This year’s ceremony is at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, starting 4:00 PM IST, and yes, the red carpet unraveled early at 3:00 PM thanks to DD News’ YouTube channel streaming it live. Winners from 2023 will be flexing on stage, trophies in hand. Don’t be surprised if even your non-filmy friends are “totally invested” tonight. BRB, connecting laptop to TV for full paisa vasool feels.
Image courtesy Wikimedia
Image courtesy Pensioners’ Portal
2) The Big Winners You’ve Been Debating In The GC
Hot tea only: Shah Rukh Khan (Jawan) and Vikrant Massey (12th Fail) just shared Best Actor, yes, SRK’s first National Award after three decades and multiple universe-conquering stardoms. Rani Mukerji took home Best Actress for Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, because emotional courtroom drama > everything else. The best feature? 12th Fail. Best Popular Film: Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Karan Johar’s world, we’re just living in it. Epic regional wins too, like Parking nabbing Best Tamil Film. Itna sukoon mila na, finally!
3) Lifetime Flex: The Dadasaheb Phalke Moment
All rise for the legend, Mohanlal bags the Dadasaheb Phalke Award this year, and the nation’s cinephile hearts are swelling like it’s the climax of a 90s movie. Expect a love-fest of throwback montages, choked-up speeches, and an auditorium that might as well burst into “one more song!” chants. If you grew up glued to your TV for his classics, this is YOUR moment of mush. Instagram Stories will absolutely be LIT with tribute edits and proud-Indian hashtags.
4) Social Media Buzz Tracker: What’s Already Trending
Fashionistas and meme lords, assemble! #NationalFilmAwards2025 and #SRKFirstNationalAward are already dominating timelines, while award-winning sarees and dapper bandhgalas are becoming the country’s new “add to wishlist.” News handles are spamming “where to watch” links, and influencers are live-rating speeches. ‘Salt-and-pepper slay’ is now trending, thanks to legendary appearances. Watch out for viral tears, off-script thank-yous, and lines that’ll get meme’d before you can say “best acceptance speech” (3…2…1, told ya).
5) Your Handy ‘Who Won What’ Cheat Sheet (For Office Small Talk Tomorrow)
Screenshot this and flex tomorrow:
– Best Actor: Shah Rukh Khan (Jawan) & Vikrant Massey (12th Fail)
– Best Actress: Rani Mukerji (Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway)
– Best Feature Film: 12th Fail
– Best Popular Film: Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani
– Best Tamil Film: Parking
– Best Debut Director: Palash Vaswani (Maidaan Ka King)
– Best Supporting Actor: Jayaram (Jailer)
– Best Supporting Actress: Triptii Dimri (Animal)
– Dadasaheb Phalke: Mohanlal
– All these awards are for 2023 releases, with the winners announced on August 1, the ceremony is happening right now!
Image courtesy Press Information Bureau
Tonight isn’t just prize-distribution, it’s a fandom victory lap, bro. We’re set for historic firsts, emotional legends, and the filmiest Fashion Week before the actual Fashion Week. Indian cinema’s big kahaani has plenty of twists left, and we’ll be live-tracking every speech, every viral reaction, every “finally!” moment. Tell us, are you here for the teary thank-yous or for your fav finally getting their due?